Many people were going on with their lives in Sonoma County, California. Within the county, there was the building of Child Protective Services. The building had two sections: the main headquarters, where social workers worked, and the other, where some foster children lived. A seventeen-year-old girl is in one of the rooms. She stood 5'5 tall; her skin was medium olive, and her shoulder-length hair was curly and pitch black. Her eyes were light brown, and her small lips were pale pink. The young lady also had a thin appearance that made her look sick because of the constant neglect from living in the foster care system. She was also of African and Mexican descent.
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Yesele POV
In a couple of weeks, I will turn eighteen. It should be the happiest day of anyone's life, but for me, I felt scared. Ever since I could remember, I have been in the foster care system. I never knew my parents, but according to the social worker, my mother was a drug addict prostitute, and my father was one of her many clients.
I have been in many foster families; a few were nice, but others were not. I escaped from being abused by many of the families. There were times when I hated my life and thought of suicide. I was scared to turn eighteen because I had no home and did not know how to apply for a job. On the other hand, I would be free from the foster care system, and I don't have to suffer anymore.
At the moment, I am in my room looking at the top bunk bed that used to belong to my former roommate, who turned eighteen and left. She was given a job at a local restaurant. In a sense, I was taught a bit about some work skills, most basic stuff. Many who were going to leave the foster care system were taught how to do low-end jobs. That is how we are viewed; it is worthless. We aren't given opportunities as others. I have always wanted to be a social worker to help children in my situation. I want to advocate for them and help them. No child should be in this kind of system.
My thoughts were interrupted when there was a knock on the door. Someone opened the door. It was my social worker, Karen. She's in her fifties; there were times when I viewed her as a mother figure. She is of African descent, with many wrinkles on her face and parts of her hands. Karen nicely combed her curly gray hair; she wore her professional clothing. Karen always treated and respected me; not many social workers were like her. The older woman motivated me to be like her.
I saw her smile. "Yesele, I have news for you. You are to be adopted."
I felt my heart skip a beat, and I immediately sat up. "W-What!?"
"Yes, child. There is a couple that wants to adopt you. Don't worry; we did a background search on them, and they are in the clear," she said with a smile.
"I-I don't u-understand! They could have the younger kids. I will turn eighteen soon; I'd be worthless to them!"
Karen stood silently and looked the other way, sad and slightly uncomfortable. Yet, her expression changed to a happier one. "They don't see it that way. Come on, get ready. The couple has signed the paperwork; they are waiting for you. I'll see you in a bit."
Before I could ask any more questions, she left. It was strange, but I also felt happy. A family would give me a chance to prove myself. I began to pack my little belongings. So many thoughts were going through my head.
How was my new family?
Will they like me?
Will I go to college?
Will my dreams come true?
After about thirty minutes, I was finished, exited my room, and approached the office where Karen awaited me. Inside the office, there was a man and a woman. Both looked to be in their early fifties and eyed me thoughtfully. I looked back at Karen, who had a smile, but something was off about the smile.
She looked sad and scared. "Yesele, this is Mr. and Mrs. Heil. They will be your family from now on."
The woman walked toward me and smiled. She looked to be at least five feet tall and of Caucasian descent. Her light blonde hair was wrapped in a nice bun. There were slight wrinkles on her face since she had a bit of heavy makeup, which made her look older than her actual age. Her eyes were blue and were a bit chunky, appearance-wise. "Oh, you are so beautiful, Yesele. I have always wanted a daughter. I could never have my children; ultimately, my husband and I decided to adopt.
I raised an eyebrow. "Th-Thank you. Why did you choose me?" I couldn't help but feel a bit suspicious.
Karen flinched and immediately cleared her throat. "Yesele, that-"
Mrs. Heil raised her hand."It's alright. We are old, Yesele. We worry that if we have a young child and die soon, no one will take care of the child. We thought it was best to have a grown child." The older woman smiled. " I can see you are a good young lady with high aspirations. We couldn't have children, even though we did try."
I put my arms around myself. I felt bad for asking, but I felt happy. This couple couldn't have children of their own. How terrible, but I felt happy. I was given a chance to prove that I was a good choice.
"My husband and I will do everything to give you a great future. We even saved up money for your education if you accept."
The woman sounded so sincere; the older man smiled and nodded. Maybe it would not be so bad after all. "Okay, I would like that."
Mrs. Heil smiled and hugged me.
Karen gave me the paperwork to sign, which I signed up for. Karen and I hugged one another, and I went off with the couple. As I left, I heard Karen cry. She probably was going to miss me as I would miss her.
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The drive was enjoyable for Yesele. Mr. and Mrs. Heil asked about her likes, dislikes, aspirations, etc. The young lady felt happy that she was given a second chance. Mr. Heil kept driving on the road that led to the woods. "Yesele, you have so many goals in life, and I am sorry you had to live such a hard life. My wife and I looked at so many prospects, but when we looked at your picture, we knew you were a perfect addition to our family."
Yesele blushed at Mr. Heil's comment. Then, Yesele saw the many trees by the window, making her feel at ease and calm. About ten minutes into the road by trees, the car moved to the left, which led to a bumpy road. Yesele was confused. "Where are we going?"
The couple did not look at her. "To your new home, my dear. We live in the woods, but don't worry; other people also live there. It is a little community of people who don't like living in the city and prefer mother nature."
The young woman nodded and decided not to speak more. However, the more Mr. Heil drove deeper and deeper into the woods, the more she began to feel nervous and unsafe. As they went on, Yesele saw a sign that said 'Monte Rio.' In what felt like an eternity, Yesele saw something from afar. It was a huge concrete building with many people, but they had weapons and looked like soldiers.
"What is-?"
Mrs. Heil turned to her and smiled. "Welcome to your new home, the Bohemian Grove. Yesele, your participation is vital for our cause."
Mr. Heil parked the car. Yesele noticed the soldier's eyes through the window. A soldier walked forward and opened the car door, but she did not get out. Her eyes were wide open, and she moved away from the soldiers. "Who are you!?"
The couple got out of the car. Mrs. Heil opened the side of the vehicle that Yesele was in. "You should get out now, or else you will be forced," she said sternly.
The young woman trembled. Suddenly, some soldiers held Yesele's arms and pulled her out. She yelped out and was then forced into the facility. Yesele had never felt so confused and terrified in her life. As she went inside, she saw many people with different types of technology and weapons that she thought could never exist.
She dared not speak, for Yesele was afraid of the consequences. As she was taken deeper into the facility, the soldiers stopped midway and forced her to see something. Her eyes became wide open in horror; her lips were also wide open.
It was a being that was out of this world. It was taller than any man she had ever seen, about 7 feet tall. The being had the body of a man but had reptile-like aqua skin with many scars; its eyes were golden reptile-like. The being had a long tail with small black horns. It also had a human male-like face, but teeth stuck out from its lips. "W-Wh-What in the world!?"
"Yes, it is a lovely creature, isn't it?" asked a masculine voice.
Yesele saw a man who looked to be in his early forties. He had faded blonde hair, blue eyes, a couple of wrinkles, and age spots on his light skin, making him look more elderly. The man was as tall as Yesele and slightly overweight. The man walked towards her in a white coat, making him look like a doctor. He smiled at her. "You must be Yesele. I bid you welcome to this facility. I am Dr. Antony, and that creature has been an alien since you asked." He chuckled. "I am sure you have many questions, and I will answer them." He motioned the soldiers to take Yesele to his office, which they did.
Yesele turned to look at the creature as she was led away.
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"This is my colleague, Dr. Logan. We are very pleased to have you in this facility, it took us a while to have a test subject, but the wait was worthwhile."
Dr. Logan was shorter than Dr. Antony, overweight, and completely bald. His face and hands had many wrinkles and age spots, and he wore large 1980s glasses. Although he was in his late forties, he looked older. He wore tight clothes that made his face hang out. His teeth were yellow, and he had a foul body odor.
Yesele felt her body tremble; her heart was beating in fear. "I-I don't understand. What do you mean by test subject? That couple was not adopting me?" she asked quietly, terrified.
Dr. Logan chuckled. "They were not a couple; they only played the part. I am sure they acted beautifully since you believed them. In a sense, you are adopted by us. You are part of our family."
The young woman felt her eyes forming tears; she put her arms around herself. "I-I want to go back. I don't want to be here! I want to call Karen!"
The two scientists sighed. Dr. Antony got a water bottle and gave it to the trembling orphan. "You are not going back, young one. We have come so far to achieve you. Karen will not do anything. She had already signed the paperwork and been paid handsomely. We would take our money back if you were to go back." He chuckled. Yet, we will eventually kill her. Money cannot always keep people silent."
Tears fell from Yesele's eyes. "She would never!"
"She did; that foolish old hag was filled with debt, and her desperation got the best of her. You must understand that the world is cruel; people will do anything for themselves. Karen cared more for herself than for you." Dr. Logan smiled. "But don't worry, that woman who betrayed you will be no more. She knows of us and must be gone."
Yesele couldn't hold back her tears. The young woman felt alone, scared, and lost.
"Don't cry, young one. We will take good care of you. If you obey our orders, you will live well. You have a huge responsibility. Did you see the alien?"
"Th-That was an alien?"
"Yes, quite an exquisite specimen we found. We learned many things about it, and we want to make clones. However, our technology is not advanced enough to make clones, so we developed another solution. With that in mind, we need your help," explained Dr. Antony.
"What am I supposed to do?"
The scientists smiled. "Why, you will bear its offspring. You will mate with it."
The young woman gasped in horror. "No! No! I will not do that! I would rather die! Please, no!"
"Don't worry; we will not harm you. We will make sure of it. Unless you want to suffer like the alien, being beaten and tortured until you submit, or we could drug you so you can enjoy the act. The choice is yours, young one." Dr. Antony clapped his hands. " I am sure this will be a lot to take in; you will be taken to your room. Guards."
Two guards got a hold of Yesele and dragged her out of the office to her room. Many workers in the facility heard her screams.
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